*** SPOILERS AHEAD! for Secret Empire, Avengers Standoff, Civil War II, Captain America: Sam Wilson, and Captain America: Steve Rogers ***
Secret Empire was
more than just another crossover event. Unlike the desperately chaotic Avenges & X-Men: AXIS, the
clinically frustrating and underwhelming Original
Sin, or even the inarticulately dull Fear
Itself, Nick Spencer’s socio-political opus is more than the sum of its
parts. And while Secret Empire has
its flaws – and they are many – it came at a tenuous time for Marvel Comics
fans, a crossroads between the current US political climate and a general
resentment of cash-grab, line-wide crossovers that rarely deliver as much as
they promise.
I don’t believe Secret
Empire will go down as one of Marvel’s greatest crossovers, but I do believe that given distance, more
readers will come to realize just how much went into this epic storyline. Read
aside from the tumultuous debate during its publishing run, Secret Empire will be seen as a poignant
and thorough examination of Marvel storytelling tropes through the lens of
socio-political tension and moral dissonance. To understand the breadth of Secret Empire, one must look back at
least a full year before the event officially kicked off; so, let’s start
there.
Standoff Against What?
When it was published in early 2016, I hated Avengers Standoff. Given the premise and
the players involved, Spencer’s narrative was a disappointment that pushed me
to ask why it needed to be told in the first place, as all it seemed to do was
twist Maria Hill from an effective leader into a megalomaniacal monster who
actively ignores the consequences of her actions. On Hill’s orders,
S.H.I.E.L.D. manipulates a Cosmic Cube – a sentient, reality-altering energy
source personified as a young girl named Kobik – to imprison super-villains by
literally rewriting their very reality and transforming them into complacent,
content citizens of Pleasant Hill, Connecticut. As a stand-alone story, Avengers Standoff is a poor facsimile of
DC’s Identity Crisis that simply doesn’t
carry as much emotional weight; the stakes are presented as being high, but in
reality, the various Avengers teams only get pulled into the fray to further a
plot that would have worked far better as a self-contained S.H.I.E.L.D. drama.
By the end of Standoff,
the incarcerated villains have escaped with a righteous new level of loathing
for S.H.I.E.L.D., Kobik is on the run with Bucky Barnes and a host of her
super-villain ‘friends’ from Pleasant Hill, Maria Hill’s position as Director
of S.H.I.E.L.D. is under scrutiny, and Kobik has renewed Steve Rogers’ youth
and super-soldier power. These are all solvent shifts to the status quo, but
nothing truly groundbreaking or worthy of such pomp and circumstance. And while
I still believe Standoff is a poor
story by itself, the themes presented throughout the interconnecting Avengers
titles offer a blueprint to Marvel’s line-wide narratives moving through 2016
and into 2017: abuse of power, distrust of authority, self-fulfilling
prophecies, and fear of what we can’t control.
Captains America
The second major piece in the overarching Secret Empire saga runs through Spencer’s
laterally-published Captain America: Sam
Wilson and Captain America: Steve
Rogers, each of which starred a Sentinel of Liberty carrying a shield and
fighting against injustice, only with major differences concerning what
injustice actually means. In the former, Sam Wilson is caught between his
convictions as a black man in America and how his words and actions are twisted
by opposing voices. The latter kicks things into gear right out the gate when the
Steve kicks fellow American-themed hero Jack Flag to his supposed death to the
tune of “Hail Hydra” at the end of Captain
America: Steve Rogers #1.
By the second issue, Spencer reveals that Kobik was
influenced by the Red Skull during her time in Pleasant Hill – he convinces her
that the world is wrong, and that Hydra is what’s right. In renewing him, Kobik
also rewrites Steve Rogers’ entire history, shuffles through his life and
inserts new narratives and characters who point him down the road that will
take him from scrawny Brooklyn kid to becoming the most powerful Hydra agent of
all time hiding behind the face of America’s greatest symbol of hope.
Even with a somewhat-cogent explanation, the ‘Nazi Cap’
controversy swept across the internet and into mainstream media when opposing
viewpoints clashed over the imagery and what it meant for the character. Some
saw Hydra as a clear stand-in for the Nazis, and thus Cap’s declaration was an
obscene perversion of a character created by Jewish writers as the antithesis to
Hitler’s fascist, racist ideals. Others saw the ‘shocking twist’ as just that, simply
comic book flair that would either a.) be revealed as an alternate timeline,
b.) turn out to be a clone., or c.) be mind-control/psychic influence. The most
fascinating part of that entire debate is that neither side was happy and
nearly everyone saw the move as a bad decision in the broader context of the
character. The next 14 issues of Captain
America: Steve Rogers did little to dissuade those who were against the concept,
as it detailed his new history as a sleeper Hydra agent, the rewritten
backstory that now informs every decision he makes, every nefarious alliance he
strikes, and every turn he takes toward the inevitable empire.
Over in Captain
America: Sam Wilson, the overall effect is less straightforward which makes
the series far more enjoyable as a stand-alone enterprise. By itself, Sam Wilson is about the struggle a man
of color undergoes wearing the uniform and carrying the shield of one of the
most recognizable faces in American history that’s always been white-skinned,
blonde-haired, and blue-eyed. For the first time, a population of people in the
United States is forced to look at Captain America and not necessarily see
themselves, but rather a different part of the population that makes this
country great. From allegories to white supremacists and police brutality to
media coverage being ingrained throughout the entire series, Sam Wilson succeeds as a character study
and a commentary on how real change
in the United States of America can cause deep-rooted fears and prejudices to
bubble up and explode.
When examined in the context of what the series means to Secret Empire, Captain America: Sam Wilson is about the loss of innocence, the
erosion of confidence in the name ‘Captain America’ whether deserved or not.
Nick Spencer doesn’t write Sam Wilson as a weak or worse Captain, but the story
is about parts of the country rooted so deeply in their archaic convictions
that they cannot accept a black man with an expanded definition of injustice as
their symbol of hope and patriotism (see Barack Obama, birtherism). Sam as
Captain America divides the country, and that societal tension is the ticking
time bomb that makes Hydra’s takeover of the United States just that much
easier: anger, resentment, and paranoia begin to take grip as a symbol that
once united the nation now divides it more than ever before.
Civil War, Too
I will spend no time defending Brian Michael Bendis’ Civil War II – it was poorly written, terribly
paced, and offered no context for justifications by either side for their
various cruelties and crimes against one another. I can respect Bendis’ past
works and still hold a grudge for how he shoved his “let’s imprison people before they commit crimes!”
ridiculousness into one of my favorite heroes of all time, Carol Danvers, just
as she was reaching Wonder Woman-levels of critical acclaim. And while she’s
currently a member of the Ultimates and carries her own ongoing title, it all
feels like wheel-spinning because Bendis destroyed any goodwill Carol had,
erased the convictions of teamwork and transparency she’s always championed
then somehow forgot when she gained a little power, and turned her into a
stubborn totalitarian hell-bent on being right above all else. But I digress… Setting
aside all the horrid aspects of Civil War
II, three major ideas resonate that fuel the fires leading into Secret Empire.
The first theme that continues from Avengers Standoff and runs through Captain America: Sam Wilson into Civil War II is distrust of heroes. Yet again, Earth’s Mightiest
find themselves involved in a circle-jerk of infighting and personal squabbles
to the detriment of the innocent people they claim to protect and serve. Demigods
punch and blast each other in the sky while ordinary citizens shoulder
collateral damage, emotional trauma, and infringement on civil liberties. Aside
from staging their massive super-fights in the middle of some of the most
densely-populated cities in the country, the most solvent example of superhero
overreaching comes from Carol Danvers incarcerating an innocent woman based on
a flawed vision of the future, then not even having the dignity to apologize.
 |
| No, thank you. |
The second major theme concerns Inhumans and their place in
the Marvel Universe. Civil War II
hinges on a single nu-human whose powers influence an entire superhero war,
draws the extended Inhuman cast into the fray, and gives arguable credence to
rising fears surrounding a new, growing population of super-powered
individuals. I’m not saying the hate and fear and resentment are good or
warranted, only that in context, ordinary people in the Marvel Universe live in
daily fear that the next Magneto or Doctor Doom or Red Skull will come out of
an Inhuman Terrigenesis pod, and that there will come a day when the world’s
best simply won’t be enough.
Finally, the epilogue issue Civil War II: The Oath is the culmination of humanity’s worst
tendencies under fear and panic when Steve Rogers is sworn in as the new
Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.: make it someone else’s responsibility. After Maria
Hill is convicted of war crimes a in light of Pleasant Hill and the second
superhero civil war, consolidating power under the one consistent symbol of
American hope and honor seems like the only option. That valuing of security
over freedom is the real reason The Oath
is so important: this is the first real step towards Hydra’s occupation and the
fall of the Avengers. At the time of release, Secret Empire had been teased and previewed for some time, which
meant the notion of Captain America leading S.H.I.E.L.D. (again) didn’t offer
the calm before the storm it should have, but instead fell flat because readers
already knew that Steve’s rise to power was inevitable.
The Empire Strikes
Standoff started
the ball rolling by discrediting S.H.I.E.L.D. via Maria Hill’s questionable
ethics, giving an entire legion of super-villains a real reason to hate the
government, and rewriting Steve Rogers’ history. Captain America: Sam Wilson exacerbates the themes of distrust and division
slowly growing throughout the United States, while Captain America: Steve Rogers fills in the narrative gaps of
Rogers’ new Hydra-influenced backstory to inform the coming rise of his new
order. Civil War II begins a trend of
dueling political ideologies concerning strength and security vs. freedom and
democracy, more clearly frames Inhumans as a persecuted minority group in the
Marvel universe, and places Steve Rogers in the highest position of power
possible.
There are, of course, a number of other minor factors/ideas
that could be added into the overall mix, like the vision of the younger
Spider-Man gripping the corpse of a dead Steve Rogers in Civil War II, the formation of the U.S.Avengers as a practice in
patriotic propaganda, or even most of the third volume of Uncanny Avengers that focuses on the Red Skull’s machinations
leading up to Avengers Standoff – but
none of those are truly necessary to the greater understanding of Secret Empire.
Yet, it’s those smaller aspects added to the effect of the
major beats leading up to Secret Empire
that set the event apart from many of its predecessors. Through an ‘opening
salvo’ mini-crossover, two parallel-running solo series, and even weaving
through a disparate event, Nick Spencer seeds and nurtures the themes and
concepts that eventually converge in Secret
Empire #0, when Steve Rogers reveals himself as Hydra Supreme and the true
invasion of the nation begins.
The image of America’s greatest champion under a new flag is
powerful, but in context, it makes sense. S.H.I.E.L.D. lost any moral high
ground after the Pleasant Hill incident, the superheroes discredited themselves
with their petty civil war, and the Inhumans are feared and hated more than
ever before. There is an elegance to the forest, a flow from one narrative to
the next that offers clarity to the temperature of the United States when
Captain America addresses the nation to finally say what no one else will: the
system is broken, the heroes do not care, and the only fight fear is with strength.
I consider myself a hyper-liberal in real life, yet when considering how I
would feel if I lived in the Marvel Universe, I can’t say how I would react to
Hydra. Would I see it as the fascist, totalitarian regime the reader in me
knows it to be? Or would my own insecurities and fear for the future of the
planet overwhelm my sense of goodwill and acceptance? I’d like to believe the
former to be true, but the truth is that in an extraordinary world that sees
constant conflict between self-absorbed demigods, I simply don’t know.
Though Hydra is obviously a nefarious, evil regime designed
to instill fear and subjugate people, it’s a metaphor for the consequences of
ignorance, a warning that abuse of power is a real threat and can come from
what we feel is most secure and unwavering. Spencer’s aim was never to present
the Hydra Empire as a reasonable option (like how Bendis attempted to give
Carol’s dictator-esque behavior equal credence to Tony Stark’s dedication to
freedom of thought), only that in the exaggerated universe of men and women in
capes and masks who punch and kick one another for vague or obtuse reasons, the
fall of the ‘American Empire’ would indeed be at the hands of an organization
that promises to not only root out corruption from a maligned and overwrought
bureaucracy, but also end the threat of constant super-on-super violence that
ravages cities and claims hundreds of lives each year, then create a new system
that ensures total safety.
What Does It Mean?
Often, artistic works take time to gain appreciation.
Vincent Van Gogh was not recognized for his genius until he had already passed
away, and now he is considered one of the best painters of all time. Wet Hot American Summer was initially
panned by critics across the board but gained a cult following that eventually
grew so large it warranted two follow-up television series. Secret Empire will always carry its
inherent narrative flaws – fractured pacing, artistic dissonance, too many
tie-ins, character digressions, and bloated plot strands – but I truly believe
that given time and distance, this event will be seen in a more positive light.
By itself, Secret Empire offers a
solid story that missteps from time to time but comes back in the end to offer
a positive message about resilience and perseverance against injustice. As a
broader story, Nick Spencer’s socio-political opus that begins with Avengers Standoff, runs through Captain America: Sam Wilson and Captain America: Steve Rogers, is fueled
by the events of Civil War II, and
finally culminate with Secret Empire is
a fantastic narrative about what it means to be a hero, the cost of peace, and
the things that divide us when we forget that everyone struggles with something
whether we can empathize or not.
The Hydra Empire is a direct response to serial
irresponsibility, a calculated solution to the various problems beguiling a
shared superhero universe. In this sense, Secret
Empire is analogous to Marvel’s recent publishing strategy: since 2012,
there have been no less than seven major crossover events that interrupt
normally scheduled programming and disrupt organic narrative flow, with more
diminished commercial and critical returns each time. Much like Steve Rogers’
focus on literal strength and flagrant shows of force, Marvel’s reliance on
short-term gains neglect long-term issues that drag the entire line down.
Forced to buy into a never-ending cycle of Earth-shattering threats with little
to no substantial consequences, it’s no wonder readers are exhausted with event
comics and misleading hype.
Thus, Secret Empire
is a meta culmination of event exhaustion as well as a clever allegory for the
same thing. Speaking to the prior, Secret
Empire was unfairly saddled with building animosity from years of
unsatisfying crossovers, and though it deserves most of the criticism levied
against the actual story, much of the vitriol and outright hate was rooted in a
general distaste for events, especially after 2016’s erratic and divisive Civil War II. To the latter, Secret Empire’s in-universe narrative
mirrors these real-world frustrations with constant superhero infighting and meaningless
devastation that claims lives and ruins others. This isn’t the first story to
approach superhero accountability in the Marvel universe (see the original Civil War event), but it is the boldest;
the individual pieces might struggle to stand on their own, but taken as an
overarching saga, Nick Spencer’s exploration of the corruption of the American
Dream at the hands of its most celebrated hero begs reconsideration outside its
politically-charged publishing timeframe and aside from the emotional baggage
it was forced to carry. AXIS and Civil War II will always be poorly
structured, hopelessly misleading events that won’t get better with age. Secret Empire, on the other hand, has
the potential to go down as a watershed moment for Marvel superheroes.
What Comes Next?
Much frustration has been expressed over Marvel’s next
publishing initiative, “Legacy”, which reestablishes legacy issue numbering
from pre-2012, and will most likely bring back classic versions of heroes who
had new faces filling their roles over the past five years. This bitterness
comes from the apparent lack of real change, yet again; aside from the new
issue numbers and potential for old faces showing back up, there doesn’t seem
to be anything new or interesting to make “Legacy” feel necessary, let alone
exciting. Unlike ‘Marvel NOW!’, there aren’t creative team shifts; unlike
‘All-New Marvel NOW!’, there isn’t a solid lineup of intriguing new #1 issues;
and unlike ‘All-New, All-Different Marvel’ or ‘Marvel NOW! 2.0’, there don’t
seem to be any fun new characters.
Since Avengers vs.
X-Men eclipsed most of 2012 only to give way to a twice-per-year crossover
release strategy, constant events followed by soft relaunches have been harshly
criticized as ineffective, transparently greedy, and generally confusing to new
and old readers alike (try figuring out how to read Captain Marvel’s adventures
in the correct order when there are three Volume 1 graphic novels on the shelf,
all of which were published between 2012 and 2017.) Each time Marvel pulls this
stunt, fans and critics alike express disdain and frustration for a publisher
more interested in churning out high-selling #1 issues than telling good
stories. Thus, I find myself wondering exactly why there is so much public
outrage over “Legacy”.
Marvel makes it clear with “Legacy” that even though there
will be fallout from Secret Empire
with consequences that reach into storylines going forward, they have actually listened to fan sentiment
and are acting accordingly. Instead of ending current series and reformatting
the entire line post-Secret Empire,
Marvel ongoings will continue without further interruption, only now with their
classic numberings – no major creative team changes, no massive shake-ups in
titles not directly connected to Secret
Empire (like, say, the new Captain
America title starring Steve Rogers), and no massive onslaught of #1
issues.
With a (reasonably doubted) promise of no major crossover
events for 18 months, “Legacy”, in fact, feels like exactly what fans have been asking for – less unnecessary marketing
gimmicks, less events weighing down organic narratives in established series,
and less overall insistence that ‘everything has changed!’. Far be it from me
to tell comic book fans how to feel about what they read, but it seems to me
that (completely understandable) compounding resentment for a publisher that
has eroded its own goodwill over the last half-decade is now skewing how
“Legacy” is being perceived. Yes, it was probably a mistake to push the
lenticular variant covers so hard at such high ordering thresholds, but beyond
that, this new initiative feels like the House of Ideas trying to get itself
back on track by offering a very different post-event landscape than Marvel
readers have seen recently by keeping things the same. Fans asked for a more
digestible, less frantic Marvel universe filled with the heroes that made it
great, and that’s exactly what “Legacy” will do.
In Conclusion
I didn’t really know where I was going with this piece when
I started. For some reason, I found myself stepping back and looking at Secret Empire not as a die-hard comic
book fan, but as a critic considering a story on its own merits. I opted to
spend little time discussing Secret
Empire’s flaws because those have been extensively covered across the
internet. I also chose not to praise the series beyond its due because nothing
is perfect, and despite being an enjoyable read overall, Secret Empire does have glaring issues.
As the outline of the piece came together, I nearly missed
the metaphor hiding in the name of the event: ‘Secret Empire’. An empire is
often valued by its size and duration, with the most well-known being the
largest and longest-lasting. Nick Spencer’s narrative began nearly two years
ago and wove three events and two ongoing series into a single, contextual saga
right under our noses – in secret, if you will. Sure, Captain America: Steve Rogers was a direct line to the endgame, but
every other part large or small added to the mystique and tension that built
throughout a divisive 2016 and into an even more bombastic 2017. In truth, Secret Empire isn’t even in my top five
Marvel events (House of M, Secret Wars
(2015), Secret Invasion, Civil War, Infinity), but I felt compelled to give
this event the credit it deserves with a bit more consideration than most
critics or fans are willing give to at this point. Perhaps one day, more fans
will see this event as I do, and then again perhaps not. Either way, I do not
believe Secret Empire will always
carry the burden of a half-decade’s worth of frustration and resentment, but
will in fact rise up as and persist as an eloquent take on the Marvel Universe
in 2017.
